Methos as Muse?
by Biniffany
Summary: decided to make this a one-shot with possibilities. if anyone wants this plotbunny they can run with it, just let me know so i can read it too!


"For there ne'er was a tale of Death  
Like this of Adam and his Elizabeth"  
  
"and I'll meet you there, I'll meet you there." Joe sang as he played out the last few chords. He, Duncan, and Methos were sitting in the bar, talking and drinking on a lazy afternoon. When Joe mentioned that he'd learned a new song, the two Immortals jumped at the chance to listen in. There was a moment of silence, and then both Mac and Methos started clapping.  
"Great job, Joe. You should play that on Friday," Duncan said.  
Methos finished his beer, set it down and then looked up at Joe. "That, my friend, was true blues," then he added: "I think that deserves another round, heh?" Methos walked around the bar to grab a few more bottles as Joe put his guitar away and sat down.  
"It's a shame you're in the Watchers, Joe. You could really be famous," Duncan said as he took his beer from the other Immortal.  
"What does that have to do with fame?" the ROG asked.  
"Isn't Watching a full-time job?" Duncan replied with his own question.  
"Yea, talk about it... My assignment is a pain in the ass," the Watcher interjected with a smile after he took a sip.  
"There have been many famous Watchers, MacLeod. They just aren't known for their Watching," Methos continued when Mac didn't look convinced. "Who do you think inspired David or the Mona Lisa?"  
"Da Vinci and Michelangelo were Watchers? Is that what you're telling me? C'mon, you're joking, right?"  
"The first time the Watcher's name outlived the Immortal's," Methos grinned. "Immortals have been the inspiration for poems, novels, songs... Even plays."  
"I've never heard of anything about us."  
"Of course not, MacLeod. Names, dates, places, certain plot elements, have all been changed, but the stories haven't," Methos took a sip if his beer.  
"Okay, oh-wise-one, who else?"  
"Well, let's see, besides our Renaissance artists," Methos stressed the "i" with an Italian accent as he sat back in his chair. "There's Stoker... Bradley..." Methos broke out into a big grin here. "Shakespeare."  
"Shakespeare???" Duncan looked at Joe who had silently been listening.  
"Shakespeare..." Joe confirmed, nodding his head. He'd heard things regarding Shakespeare, and this only mildly surprised him. Not much did, anymore.  
"You mean, like, Hamlet- Shakespeare? King Richard III- Shakespeare?"  
"One and the same," Methos replied.  
"Well? Who did he watch?"  
"Shakespeare?" Methos appeared distracted. "Oh, uh, no one really. He was more of a researcher. One of his acting buddies watched a nice calm Immortal. A doctor actually. Dr. Adam Rawlin, if I remember correctly," he stared off, as if reminiscing, with a smile. Apparently that gave him away.  
"Oh! Wait a minute! You're telling me that Shakespeare was your Watcher?"  
"Well, not exactly... But pretty close."  
"How'd you pull that off?"  
"I'm not sure, actually. Someone must have seen me revive or something, but I was back on the radar."  
"So they found out that you were Methos?" Duncan couldn't help himself. He knew that Methos would have to have had contact with some famous people here and there, but he couldn't imagine Shakespeare.  
"It was only 500 years ago MacLeod. I was over 4,000 years old by then. Do you really think I'd be as stupid as to blurt out that I was the eldest Immortal? Please!" Methos took another sip of his beer. They weren't going to let this go without a story. Might as well make it a good one. "I told them I was Adam Rawlin, relatively new Immortal who was looking to start a new life in a new town. At least, that's what they got after a few late nights at the local pub. I made up my first life and my story up until I arrived in England. Nothing too exciting."  
Duncan was dumbfounded, and speechless. He couldn't imagine Methos knowing Shakespeare, much less Shakespeare being a Watcher himself. Speaking of Watchers...  
"Joe, did you know about this?"  
"Well, I'd heard some things, but Watchers aren't allowed full access to the records. I'm as surprised as you are about Methos's involvement, Mac," Joe replied, trying to figure out which play Methos inspired...  
"As far as the Watcher's know, Adam Rawlin was killed by a mortal," Methos shrugged. Before they could ask anything, Methos added, "A Watcher."  
"What?!"  
"No way. C'mon, Methos, you're stringing us along now," Joe couldn't believe that a Watcher would consider killing an Immortal in the 17th century. Especially a relatively new and harmless one.  
"Horton wasn't the first Watcher to go renegade. No where's near it. Over thousands of years, you think Horton was the only one to decide that Immortals shouldn't be? That we aren't natural? Hell no. Horton may have gotten more accomplished than some of the others, but that doesn't mean they didn't try."  
"There's more to this than you're telling us," Joe said when it became clear that Methos wasn't continuing.  
"Always is, Joe," Methos replied. But Methos wasn't looking at Joe. Instead he was looking off, towards the floor, but not. It seemed that Methos wasn't in the bar anymore. Not mentally, at least. 


End file.
